Etihad Aviation Group signs contracts with Sky Prime at the Saudi Airshow

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Etihad Aviation Group’s Engineering and Aviation Training divisions have both signed contracts to collaborate with Sky Prime, the largest private aviation operator in the Middle East, based in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The agreements were announced at the Saudi Airshow
where Etihad is showcasing its Special Olympics liveried Boeing 787-9
Dreamliner, alongside the Embraer Phenom 100E used in Etihad Aviation
Training’s flight school. Etihad Airways Engineering is exhibiting its
extensive Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) capabilities, including the
new Airbus A350 maintenance services announced earlier this week.

Etihad Airways Engineering and Sky Prime

Etihad
Airways Engineering has added another key customer to its VIP aircraft
maintenance portfolio by joining hands with Sky Prime. The agreement allows the two companies to collaborate
in multiple areas of operation, from heavy maintenance and cabin modification
support including Part 21J and Part 21G
engineering services.

Under
the scope of the new agreement, Etihad Airways Engineering has already
delivered C-checks and cabin repairs to two VIP aircraft in the Sky Prime
fleet, at its state-of-the-art MRO facility in Abu Dhabi. Additional projects
are planned over the coming months which will see the engineering team deliver
a wide range of engineering solutions to Sky Prime.

Abdul
Khaliq Saeed, Etihad Airways Engineering Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our
team enjoys a strong reputation in the international market for expertise and
experience on major commercial aircraft platforms. While we have been
supporting luxury aviation operators locally for many years, we are now
expanding our services to the VIP aviation sector across the region and beyond.
Our partnership with Sky Prime is a perfect example of this expanded scope.”

Captain
Mokhtar, Sky Prime Aviation Services CEO, said: “We value this co-operation with
Etihad Aviation Group which will play an active role in supporting and growing
the Saudi aviation sector.”

Aircraft
hangars at the Abu Dhabi facility cover approximately 66,000 sq metres,
including 10,000 sq metres of aircraft painting facilities and a
custom-designed hangar that can accommodate up to three Airbus A380 aircraft
simultaneously. The company has successfully completed maintenance projects
over the years for airlines across the world.

Etihad Aviation Training and Sky Prime

Etihad
Aviation Training (EAT) will for the first time collaborate with a partner in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after a landmark signing ceremony with Sky Prime, further
strengthen business ties between the two nations.

As
part of the agreement, Sky Prime will dry and wet lease EAT’s Full Flight
Simulators at Zayed Campus, Etihad’s training facility in Abu Dhabi. The
training will be conducted by both Etihad and Sky Prime instructors.

Paolo
La Cava, Director of EAT, said: “EAT is looking forward to welcoming Sky Prime
instructors and pilots to conduct Airbus A320, A340 and Boeing 777 and 787
training at Zayed Campus. Last year was a strong year following EAT’s relaunch
and we anticipate an even stronger 2019 with Sky Prime as our first Saudi
Arabian partner.”

As
part of the agreement, Crew Resource Management training, a tool for improving
air safety, will also be conducted by EAT trainers for Sky Prime’s pilots and
cabin crew. Sky Prime Cabin Crew will also receive recurrent training with
EAT’s cabin safety trainers.

Captain
Mokhtar, Sky Prime Aviation Services CEO, said: "In line with the Saudi
2030 vision, we are delighted Etihad Aviation Training are helping us fulfil
our development strategy. To use their best-in-class training facilities and
pilots to train our flying crew will enable us to gain the trust of our
customers.”

EAT
currently boasts 11 Full Flight Simulators (FFS) including three Airbus A320
FFS devices, two Airbus A330/A340s, one Airbus A380, two Boeing 777s and three
Boeing 787-9 devices. The facility is expanding and will soon see the arrival
of a brand new Airbus A350 FFS, as well as an Airbus A320 Fixed Based Device,
both of which will be available in Abu Dhabi to third party customers.

There
are 109 cadet pilots currently in EAT programmes, all of whom are UAE nationals.
In addition to training pilots for Etihad Airways on our Multi- Crew Pilot
License (MPL) program, EAT also trains pilots for third party customers,
including L3 and Alpha Aviation.